Coin-controlled apparatus for vending-machines.



- '0. J. HorALING. COIN GONTROLLD APPARATUS POB VENDING MACHINES.L

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1910.

Patented May 23 Y, Du

WITNESSES:

0. J. HOTALING. COIN GDNTRQLLBD APPARATUS POR .VENDING MACHINES.

PPLIUATION FILED AUG. 2. 1910..

Patented May 23, 1911.

ATTORNEYS OMAR J. HOTALINQ OF JOHNSTOWN, NEW YORK.`

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, OMAR J. lf'lo'ramxo, a citizen of the llnitedStates, and a resident of Johnstown. in the county of Fulton and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Coin-(Tontrolled Apparatusfor Vending-Machines. of which the following is a full. clear, and exactdescription. y

This invention relates to coin-controlled apparatus for use i-nconnection with different kinds of vending machines, and has referencemore particularly to apparat-us of this class associated with .anoperating lever or member of the vending machine, and comprising adisplaceable stop for limiting the travel of the member, normallyinoperative' means for displacing the stop through the movement ofthemember' itself, and means for rendering the first-mentioned meansoperative by the member when a coin is introduced into the apparatus.

The object of the invention is "to provide' a simple and etiicientcoin-controlled appa ratus which can be used with different kinds ofvending machines, which serves to pre- `vent the operation Aof themachine with which it is employed unless the suitable predeterminedcoins are introduced into the coin slot, which canbe adjusted to operatewith one or more coins of differentkinds, which requires comparativelylittle power to actuate it, which does not modify or otherwise affectthe operation of the vending machine itself, and which is so constructedthat unauthorized or improper operation thereof is accomplished only4with diiiiculty. The invention consists in` the construction and.combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and fullyset forth in the claims;

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar charactersofreference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in -whichy Figurezl is a sideelevation of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the apparatus showing parts in cross section: Figx a transversesection of part of the device. showing -the coin passage; Fig. 4 is anenlarged view similar to Fig. Q, showing certain of the parts .indifferent positions; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a detail o f`modified form; and Fig. (Slis a View similar to Fig., 5, showing adetail of further modliied form.

specification of Letzersiratent. Apiiioatioii med August 2,

Patented May 23, 1911.

1910. `serial No, 575,061.

Before proceeding'to a `more detailed eX- planationof my invention, itshould be clearly understood that while the coincontrolled apparatus isparticularly useful withthe type of vending machine shown in my UnitedStates Patent application, Serial No. 537,452, filed January 11, 1910,it can also. be advantageously employed with other vending machinesemploying an operating lever or member b v means of which thecoincontrolled mechanism itself can be operated. As will appear moreclearly hereinafter, it

can be adjusted for use with one or more.

coins, and it is thus adapted for the vending of articles havingldifferent values. For example it can be employed With a machine forselling daily papers kat one cent apiece, or with papers costing two orthree cents.

`The scopeof the machine is dans increased,

and the necessary alteration isslight, so that little inconvenienceresults therefrom. Cerl tain of the details form no part of myinvention,and can be varied in accordance with individual preferencev and specialconditions, without departing from the underlying spirit` of theinvention.

eferring more particularly tothe drawinos I have shown the-o eratinvrlever or. C 7 b pivoted member l0 of a .vendin machine,

mounted to swing about a suitab e pivot 11,.

at one en d thereof.` The lever lextends removably through a slottedguideway 12 formed between spaced parallel bars 13 and 14. The bar 13has extensions 15 to which the bar 14 is secured by means of screws 16or in any other suitable manner.` The 4bar 13 can be fastened to a Wallor other part of the vending machine, by means of screws 17, or thelike".

The bar 14 has mounted thereon a coin casing 18 Ain which is formed aslot 19; constituting the coin passage through which the coins travel. Asuitable coin chute or like device (not shown), is used 1n 'connectionwith the vending machine for directing the coins to the coin passage.The slot 19, forming the coin passage, is open at the front of ldiecasing 18, and has pivoted therein the coin keeper 20, consisting of anelongated, comparatively thin strip of metal, pivotally mounted at itsupper end by means of a suitable pin 21. A light spring 22 is fastenedto the lower portion of the coin cas,-r ing, yand .t the correspondingextremity of the keeper. It tends to displace the keeper from its normalposition Within the slot, and

substantially parallel to the length thereof. The keeper, at its innerend has a projection 23 for a. purpose which will appear hereinafter. Areleasing member 24 consisting of a bell crank lever having a long arm25 and a short arm 26, is pivotally mounted by means of a screw 27 orthe like, upon the bar above the coin casing. j The arm 26 at the lowerend has a laterally disposed finger 28 which extends transversely of thekeeper 20, and in a normal position ot' the releasing member engages thekeeper and tends to ,hold it in operative position within the coinpassage slot. The arm 25 at its free end has a laterally disposed finger29 which is engaged by a strip spring 30 secured upon the operatinglever 10. The spring 30 when the. lever is in its normal elevatedposition, holds the releasing member in a normal position such that thekeeper 2O is operative.

A movable stop 31 is mounted upon the coin casing bymeans of an offsetstrap guide 32, held in place by means of screws 33, or in any othersuitable manner. The stop 31 has the end provided with a bevel 34 at theunder side, and at the rear end has an extension 35 pivotally connectedby means of a pin 36 with a lever 37. The latter is movably mounted bymeans of a pin 38 upon a bracket 39, carried by the bar 14. The lever 37forms one element of a lever system which comprises in addition, a lever40 movably mounted by means of a pivot pin 41 upon a bracket 42 carriedupon the back plate 43 of the coin casing. The levers 37 and 40 areconnected at their lower ends by means of a link 44 which is pivotedatthe extremities of the levers by means of suitable pivot pins orrivets 45. A strip spring 46 is mounted upon an extension 47 of the bar14 and engages at the lower end of the lever 40, to hold the leversystem in a normal position such that the stop 31 is projected into thepath of the operating member 10 in the guide way 12, as is shown mostclearly in Fig. 2.

The coin casing has cylindrical openings 48 and 49 formed therein, whichextend transversely of the coin passage 19, and are located respectivelyat opposite sides thereof, the opening 48 registering with the opening50 in the bar 14. Thew opening 48 at the end adjacent to the opening 50has an enlarged part 51 which is equal in diameter to the opening 50. Atthe other end the opening 48 has an inwardly disposed iiange 52 forminga eonstricted neck, and has at the outside of the flange an enlargedpart 53. The opening 49 at the end adjacent to the coin passage 19 hasan en` larged part 54. The back plate 43 of the coin casing has acircular recess 55 which is adjacent to the opening 49 and communicatestherewith through a reduced opening 56. I employ a plunger device foractuating `member 58 located in the opening -member 57 and engages thestop 31 through the lever system. The plunger device consists of aninner member 57 located in the opening 48, and an outer 49. The member57 has an enlarged head 59 which guidingly engages within the opening 48and which is provided with a laterally eX-h tended crown 60 having theouter surface 61 beveled, which is located movably in the opening 50 oi.the bar 14, and is adapted to scat in the enlarged part 51 of theopening 48 when the member 57 is retracted, as is shown in Fig. 4. Atthe other end, the member 57 has a laterally extended disk 62 adapted toseat in the enlarged part 53 of the opening 48 when the melnber 57 isprojected. A spring 63 is mounted upon the the flange 52 and the head59. It tends normally to hold the member 57 projected so that thebeveled end face 61 of the crown 60 projects into the path of theoperating member 10. The member 58 at the rear end has an enlarged head64 which normally seats in the recess 55 and is engaged by the upper endot the lever 40. At the other end, the member 58 has a laterallyextended disk 65 which is movable in the enlarged part 54 of the opening49. A helical spring 66 is mounted about the member 58 and engages thedisk 65 and the back plate 43. It tends to hold the member 58 inposition such that the head 54 seats in' the recess 55.

The operating member 10 in its normal position is elevated as shown inFig. 1. The member 57, under the influence of the spring 63, ispositioned with the crown 60 projecting into the guideway 12. The member58 under t-he influence of the spring 66 is positioned with the head 64seated in the recess 55, and the disk 65 with its end face substantiallyflush with the wall of the coin passage 19. The end face of the disk 62is substantially flush with the opposite wall of the coin passage. Thespring 46, when the head 64 is retracted, holds the lever system so thatthe stop 31 projects into the guideway 12. Then a coin is introducedinto the coin passage sothat the vending machine can be operated, it isbrought to a. stop between the disks 62 and 65 by the stop projection 23of the member 20, which is located at a suitable point of the keeper forthis purpose. After the coin is in place, the operating member 10 isdepressed and moved along the coin passage. gagement with the beveledend face of the crown 60 and thereby displaces the member 57 against thetension ot .the spring 63. The interposition of the coin 67 between thedisks permits the movement of the member 57 to be transmitted to themember 58 so that the head 64 is forced outward and actuates the lever40. The movement of the lever 40 is transmitted through the link 44 andthe lever lt comes into enchine cannot be operated. The lever system thelower end is so constructed that the movement of the member 58 ismultiplied materially in being. transmitted to the tively slightmovement on the part of the stop, so thata comparahead 64 is sufficientto move the stop completely out of the path of the operating member.When a coin is not positioned between the disks 62 and 65, a movement ofthe member 59 cannot be transmitted to the member 58.

'After the operating member passes beyond the stop 31, the spring 30 nolonger engages the arm 25 of the releasing member, and thisgravitationally swings from engagement with the keeper. The spring 22then displaces the keeper, as is shown in Fig. 3, and-the coin can fallfrom between the disks of the' plunger device, and escape at ofthe coinpassage into a suitable coin receptacle, not shown. In Figs. 5 and 6,.however, of the keeper 20. In the first of these the keeper 68 issimilar in all respects to `the keeper 20, with the exception of theprojection 69, which is located lower upon the keeper than is the.projection 23. Thisnecessitates the` introduction of more than one coin;for example, two= coins can be positioned between the plunger disks. Inother Y words, if it lis desired to vend newspapers costing two centsapiece,

it is necessary to insert two separate cents, is supported' by theprojection 69, and the Second of which is held in position between theplunger disks, by the first one. In Fig. 6 I have shown a keeper 70having the pro,- jection 71 so positioned that three coins must beintroduced before the 4device will operate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. Apparatus ofthe class described, com-i prising an operating member,.astop noI-.

mally operative to limitathe movement of said member, a plunger deviceadapted to receive a coin and having a part adapted to be actuated bysaid member, and a second part adapted to be actuated by saidA first ypart when a coin is interposed between said parts, means for directing acoin into position between saidl parts,` and an operativeconnection'between said second part and said stop. j

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member, adisplaceable stop for limiting-the travel of said member, elements foroperatively connect'- are shown modified forms y the iirst of which' ingsaid member and said stop to permit said s top to be displaced ,by amovement .of said member, and mea/.ns for introducing a coin betweensaid elements, said elements to render the same relatively operativebeing normally inoperative with respect to one another.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprisingV an operating member, adisplaceable stop for limiting the tra-vel of said member,

elements for operatively connecting said member and said stop to permitsaid stop to be displaced by an'initial movement of said ,.member, meansfor :introducing a coin between saidv elements, said elements beingnormally inoperative with respect to one another, and means operable bya further movement of said member for displacing a coin from betweensaid elements.

4. Apparatus of t-he class described, comprisingv an operating member, adisplaceable stop for limiting the travel of said member,

'elements for operatively connecting said member and said stop, topermit saidstop to be displaced by an initial movement of said member, acoin passage for introducing a coin between said elements, said elementsbeing normally inoperative with respect to one another, a keeper forholding said coin in position betweensaid elements,y and meanscontrolled by said operating member for maintaining said keeper in anoperative position during a part of the travel of said member.

5. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member, adisplaceablestop for limiting the travel of said member and normallysaid member, a coin passage, plunger parts arranged at opposite sides ofsaid passage, one of said parts normallyprojecting into the path of saidmember, and a lever system projecting into the path of y for operativelyconnecting the other oi? said parts and said stop. f

t3. Apparatus of the class' described,vco1n prising any operatingmember, a displace able stop for limiting the travel of said memberandnormally projecting vinto the path of said member, acoin passage,plunger parts arranged at opposite sides pf said passage, one of saidparts normally projecting into the path of said member, a lever systemfor operatively connecting the other of said parts and said stop, akeepeji` mov- `ably mounted ladjacent to said passage, and

serving to hold a coin in position between said parts, and a membercontrolled by said operating member and serving to positionLA saidmember operatively until said operating member passes said first part ofsaid plunger. l

7. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member, astop normallyprojecting into the path of said member to limit the travelthereof, a casing having a coin passage, plunger parts movably arrangedin said casing at opposite sides ot said passage and adapted to beoperatively connected by the interposition of a coin therebetween,springs tending to hold said parts in normal. positions such that one ofsaid parts projects into the path of said member, and a lever systemoperatively connecting the other of said plunger parts and said stop,whereby said operating member can actuate said stop to ldisplace thesame from its path.

S. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member, astop normally projecting into the path of said member to lilnit thetravel thereof, a casing having a coin passage, plunger parts movably ar'anged in said casing at opposite sides ot said passage and adapted tobe operatively connected by the interposition of a coin therebetween,springs tending to hold said parts in normal positions such that one ofsaid parts projects into the path of said member, a lever systemoperatively connecting the other of said plunger parts and said stop,whereby said operating member can actuate said stop to displace the samefrom its path, a. keeper movably carried by said casing at. said passageand adapted to hold a coin in position between said parts, and areleasing member normally. engaging said keeper to hold the same inoperative 'position and'controlled by said operating member.

9. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member,adisplaceable stop, a coin-receiving device operatively connected withsaid stop and adapted to be actuated by said member, said coin-receivingdevice being normally inoperative, and being rendered operative by theintroduction of a coin, a movable member normally operative to hold acoin in position at saideoinreceiving device, a spring tending torelease said keeper, a releasing member normally holding said keeper inan operative position, and a spring carried by said operating member andengaging said releasing,r member to hold the same operative during theinitial part of the travel of said operating member.

10. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an operating member, aguideway for said operating member, a coin-casing mounted adjacent tosaid guideway and having a coin passage therethrough, said coin casinghaving registering openings therethrough at opposite sides of saidpassage, plunger parts mounted in said openings, springs tending to holdsaid parts in normal positions, such that the adjacent ends ot' saidparts are separated at said coin passage to receive a coin therebetween,the -first of said parts normally projecting into the path of saidoperating member, a lever system operatively connecting the second ot'said parts and said stop, and serving to multiply the movementl of saidsecond part in transmit.- ting the movement to said stop, a spring forholding said lever system in a normal position, a keeper pivotallymounted in said coin passage and having means for holding a coin inposition .between said plunger' parts when said keeper is in anoperative position, a spring tending to display said keeper, a pivoted,releasing member engaging said keeper to hold the same in an operativeposition, and a member carried by said operating member, and engagingsaid releasing member, to hold said releasing member operative untilsaid operating member passes beyond said lst plunger part.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

OMAR J. HOTALING. Witnesses:

TIMOTHY Knox, ANDREW S'rALEY.

